Monday, November 10, 2014

The Ancient Hebrews: The Origins of Judaism

Unit Focus Question How did the Hebrews have a lasting impact on Western Civilization?

Today's Focus Question What were the origins and early beliefs of the Hebrews?

Introduction to the Unit From our textbook: "The study of the Jewish people (the Hebrews) provides an excellent opportunity to show how a relatively small group of people can have a major impact on other peoples and on the course of history. Although the Jewish people were often enslaved or defeated in wars, their beliefs and writings influenced many civilizations."

Video: "The Story of Judaism" In order to set the stage for our unit of study on the ancient Hebrews and the origins of Judaism, we will watch the short introductory video below.

The Origins of Judaism: Vocabulary Study Next, we will study the key vocabulary related to the origins of Judaism, using the document The Origins of Judaism - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which can be found in your Social Studies folders. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook, which has been placed in your Social Studies folders (and which you can also find here), to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts. Some images have also been posted below to help you conceptualize these new terms.

Judaism may have been the first monotheistic religion, but it would not be the last.

Ethical behavior is an important part of the religion of Judaism.

According to the Bible, God made a covenant with Abraham.

Moses and the Ten Commandments.

There was a large migration of ancient Hebrews from Egypt into the "Promised Land."